The Changing South

Throughout the South starting in the early 17th century and ending during the 19th century, enslaving both Blacks and Indians had been a common activity performed by Whites. The first African slaves landed in the Southern United States portion of North America in 1619, and the first Indians were captured and enslaved in the late 18th Century. These slaves were first forced to work on early plantations, which started to appear in 1612. The use of these slaves rapidly increased during both the 18th and 19th century, though most American Indians were forcibly removed from the South by the 1830's (making the majority of slaves left only Blacks).

Native Americans in the South
(Source: http://cdn.dipity.com/uploads/events/59b8f46f028d05695f0a9c2a9ce23354_1M.png)

After the Civil War ended in 1865, every slave that had been forced to work on any farm or plantation had been considered a free man. However, the Southern states, whom were full of residents who were upset about the new federal laws, began to come together to develop new state and local laws that segregated Blacks and Whites away from one another. Though these laws were supposed to keep conditions equal between blacks and whites, in almost all of the south these laws always favored Whites over Blacks, which slowed the progression of Blacks in becoming successful in the South.

One of many separated public water fountains in the South.
(Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbRNiEK-0T28_L6wlAr42u7KTSJziXvxFlKTNJrQB-nSWLj1YVGJBPxDRGoiHg651ARppESScW9JeptTbpvLLSFm-FvnXUv7yD-tLQIVyA4FGD32CblcvcJGTDAi0LCEPnRcmd_wcJIaY/s1600/30s+parks+segregation.jpg)

Other issues emerged as well, such as the combined poverty that both Blacks and Whites were suffering from at the end of the Civil War. Though Blacks were technically now free, none of them had any land or money for themselves, leaving them incapable of taking care of themselves or their families. Most Whites, though now poor and suffering from the damages that had occurred to their land during the Civil War, still had the land that they had previously owned before the war, and therefore had the ability to grow their crops again. From this, the concept behind sharecropping was born. Sharecropping allowed Blacks to grow their own crops on a part of a plantation owner's land, and keep part of the procceds that came from those crops. However, in return, they had to share a certain portion of that crop with the plantation owner, and pay the plantation owner for the use of their tools, rent... etc, as well. This system often caused Blacks to go into debt with the plantation owners, forcing them to work on the land to pay off the debt (which they could almost never do.) Eventually, as different industries began to enter into the South that offered job opportunities which gave more benefits and empowered poorer individuals more than their current jobs, as well as the slow but steady migration of Blacks into the North stopped this legal version of slavery from occurring.

Family that moved to Chicago for work in the early 20th Century
(Source: http://discoverblackheritage.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/great-migration-chicago.jpg)

However, even though it did not occur in the same ways in California, it can be argued that the same type of issues arose in the state as well, with some of this activity occurring in the area where Sacramento is currently located. For starters, the area that was to become Sacramento back in 1840 when it was first established by John Sutter was originally built by Indians whom had become slaves under Sutter. These slaves built Sutter's Fort, which still stands today in the middle of Sacramento. However, when the Civil War started in 1861, the State of California sided with the North instead of the South, showing that they did not support the South's ways.

Painting of Sutter's Fort before restoration
(Source: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/sacramento/postcards/sfort2.jpg)

Though it wasn't the same method as sharecropping, there was a trend that was occurring in California in the late 19th/early 20th century that was similar to the idea of sharecropping. Thousands of migrant Latino farm workers during this time were being underpaid and overworked by their employers, and were forced to live in dirty one room tents and shacks. The corporations whom owned the the land were keeping the majority of the profits that these produce items made, even after multiple farm workers complained to the corporations about their low wages. However, the number of workers looking for jobs was always high, so it never mattered to a corporation if they lost a farm worker, since there would be one available to replace the worker whom quit. These workers (as well as many other Latino individuals) were also segregated by Whites in some portions of California in the same ways that Blacks were segregated in the South. Though what was being performed here was not exactly the same to what was occurring in the South, the two were similar in the fact that the owners behind each plantation or corporation were actively exploiting their workers by underpaying them and forcing them to live in unfair conditions.

Restaurant which supported segregation in California
(Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UxPHw2wKKv9GFYIqqSQPnyyg9itFOowMYdVo-zmqX-coiiEVDL-a_3ze-mP8b4-Ih02oZZDQSCz1y0dJjxnd0qtmKgmr7_KGbGCYUVtrbTfJbhUIqBKimaxyArWD0CPyAx90ztfHpw/s1600/WhitesOnly.gif)

However, the revolution that came to change this in California began to occur in the middle of the 20th century by a man named Cesar Chavez. According to an Article on About.com, in 1962 Cesar Chavez formed the United Farm Workers union, which focused on the rights for farm workers in California. Cesar Chavez taught these workers about how unions work, and helped them use their power as a union to increase their wages and working conditions through boycotts and strikes (About.com). Through the power of the United Farm Workers, Cesar Chavez was able to stop the exploitation of farm workers throughout California, enact laws which protected farm workers, and revolutionized the way California agriculture businesses are run today.

Image of Cesar Chavez giving a speech to United Farm Workers members
(Source: http://www.freedomarchives.org/images/Cesar_Chavez.jpg)